The Dating Game
by scarlett2112
Summary: Damon Salvatore has no idea what he's getting himself into when he accepts a dare to participate on 'The Dating Game' TV show. Will he choose the siren, the seductress or the fiery one? And will Damon get more than he bargained for when he makes the choice?
1. Chapter 1

**_This is just a short story. I've only ever written in first person and I want to expand my horizons so to speak. I asked my son for an idea for a short story and he suggested, 'The Dating Game' so here we are._**

 ** _Chapter One: 'Poker Face'._**

* * *

Since it's a quiet Saturday and she has no plans, Elena walks into the kitchen to see what she has to snack on. After grabbing the bowl of grapes from out of the refrigerator, she goes into the living room, grabs the TV remote then plops down on the couch to get comfortable. She puts her feet up on the end table and then turns on the TV. Scrolling through the channels, she finds an old Hitchcock movie, _'North by Northwest'_. Giddy because she loves Cary Grant and Hitchcock, she sets the remote down and puts the bowl of grapes on her lap. She starts plopping one after another into her mouth savoring their sweet flavor as it erupts on her tongue, igniting her taste buds. Just as the bad guys start to force alcohol down Cary's throat, the doorbell rings. Dropping her chin to her chest, she sighs heavily because someone is interrupting her drama free day. Setting the grapes down, she gets up hesitantly then walks to the door. As soon as she pulls it open, her friend, Caroline Forbes pushes her way inside without saying a word.

"Caroline? What's up?" Elena asks hesitantly knowing that she really doesn't want to hear the answer. Caroline gives her a quick hug then disappears into the living room. With her spidey senses on high alert, Elena pushes the door closed then reluctantly goes back into the living room to see what exaggerated drama Caroline is about to unleash. Without wasting a second, Caroline grabs her hands and pulls her onto the couch. In her head, Elena is counting down the seconds till whatever Caroline is about to spill disrupts her once quiet day.

"Elena, I need the biggest favor. Please you have to help me out here."

"Of course, Caroline. You know that I'll do anything for you," Elena reassures, taking Caroline's hands in her own.

"Remember when I signed up to be a contestant on the dating game?"

"Yes, of course. Why?"

"Elena, they called. They want me to be on but now that I'm in a relationship with Nick, I can't do it."

"Why don't you just tell them that?"

"I sort of promised them that my friend would take my spot as one of the bachelorettes."

"You what?" Elena snaps, lurching to her feet. Running her hand through her glistening chestnut hair, Elena rounds on Caroline.

"I.. I told them that you would be happy to take my place on the panel."

"You did not," Elena snaps, getting nose to nose with her friend.

"Come on, Elena. You owe me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Who was it that went on a date with Kai when you chickened out?"

"I didn't chicken out," Elena says, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

"Oh yes you did, missy."

"But Caroline, being on the dating game. It's not even in the same ball park."

"Well, I don't care. You owe me and this is how you can repay it," Caroline says, unwilling to take no for an answer.

"But this is a dating game, Caroline."

"Oh stop complaining. Your chances of being chosen are only one in three. Odds are that you won't get picked anyway. Cheer up," Caroline scoffs, looking at Elena pointedly.

"When is it?"

"Next week. I'll even go with you to the studio."

"Gah, I hate this. You will owe me big time, Caroline."

"No, we'll be even."

After staring at Caroline for several moments, Elena drops her chin to her chest, uttering, "Just kill me now."

"Elena, stop. For heaven's sake, it's not going to be that bad. I'm sure the guy will be a hottie anyway, they usually are on that show."

"Please tell me why you ever applied to be on the stupid show anyway?"

"Because I thought it would be fun. And I was looking for a man at the time I filled out the application."

"I'm so going to regret this," Elena says more to herself than to Caroline."

"Come on, let's go shopping. We have to find you something fabulous to wear."

"Who cares what I'm wearing? Like you said, odds are that he won't pick me so what does it matter?"

"Elena, you'll be on TV. You can't just look frumpy," Caroline remarks, aghast.

"Alright, I'll go get my purse. I'll be right back," Elena concedes. After sharing a hint of a scathing look at her friend, she stomps of the staircase, grabs her purse out of the bedroom. Sighing heavily, Elena quickly slips on a comfortable pair of shoes then rejoins Caroline, the two of them leaving to find something presentable to wear.

* * *

Walking into his closet, Damon starts thumbing through his shirts that are hanging on the bar. Not finding what he wants, he looks through his dirty clothes hamper that's sitting in the corner of his large walk in closet. Starting to feel frustrated because he can't find what he's looking for, he dumps the dirty clothes onto the floor to look for the shirt. Still unsuccessful, he pulls open one dresser drawer after the next coming up empty handed again. After slamming the last drawer shut, Damon walks out of his closet, drops to his knees and looks under the bed. Damon did bring a lady friend home last week after all but he doesn't remember if he wore the shirt on that night or not. Finding a pair of panties, Damon uses his thumb and forefinger, to pull it out. "Ooh disgusting," he says to himself, his face contorting with distaste. After depositing it in the waste basket, Damon goes to look for his house mate and best friend.

"Brady, do you have my Varvatos button down? I want to wear it when I'm on TV next week," Damon yells, looking through his dress shirts that are hanging in his walk in closet.

"Yeah, I borrowed it for my date with Sarah. It's at the cleaners." Brady answers, walking into Damon's room. "And why the hell are you going to be on TV?"

"I filled out an application to be on 'The Dating Game'. I got a call back for an interview. Yours truly is going to be the bachelor on next Wednesday's show."

"Seriously?" Brady blurts out, unable to contain the laughter that escapes.

"You think this is funny?"

"It's hysterical. Since when have you ever had trouble getting some?"

"It's not that and it wasn't on a whim either. Enzo dared me. I mean, what would you have me do, Brady? He called me a coward."

"So if he called you a coward for refusing to take a swan dive off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you do it?"

"Stop Brady, it's not the same and you know it. Besides, I'm a professor, primitive sexual practices and all...," Damon teases, waggling his brows.

"You're so full of yourself, Damon," Brady laments, playfully shaking his head. "I'll go get you the ticket from the dry cleaners. You can pick it up yourself if that's what you want to wear."

"Great, thanks buddy."

"When you get to be a celebrity, don't forget your friends," Brady laughs, walking out of Damon's room.

* * *

"Caroline, are you really going to make me go through with this?" Elena asks, staring out of the window as Caroline drives them to the studio.

"Elena, you can't back out now. We have to be there so they can do your hair and makeup and go over the rules with you. It's going to be so much fun, I just know it," Caroline gushes.

"You're only saying that because you're not the one who has to face the firing squad," Elena snaps back.

"Oh stop being so melodramatic," Caroline chides, shaking her head. Soon they pull into the studio parking lot. Once the car is parked, Elena and Caroline step out. Elena's eyes dart all around, looking for an escape route. Before she even has a chance to sprint away, Caroline takes her by the hand, practically dragging Elena inside of the building. Knowing that she'll have to go through with it, albeit grudgingly, Elena stops in her tracks and turns to face Caroline.

"If you ever ask me to do something like this again, we're through. Do you understand?" Elena asks, getting into Caroline's face.

"Really Elena?" Caroline scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Stop whining already."

Feeling tempers beginning to flare, Elena takes a deep cleansing breath. "I am not whining, Caroline. It's just that being a contestant on the dating game wasn't ever on my bucket list of things to do before I croak," Elena adds, her voice dripping with disdain. After blowing out a big puff of air, Elena clasps her hands repeated at her sides before honing in on Caroline once more.

"It won't be the end of our friendship but you better promise me right here and right now that something like this will never happen again," Elena demands, crossing her arms over chest in defiance.

"I promise, now behave yourself. The studio is right over there," Caroline adds, pointing out the number of the one that they're supposed to go to. Once inside, the two girls are directed to another room so Elena can get primped to go on the air. Rolling her eyes once more for good measure, Elena dutifully follows along, taking the seat at the makeup artist's chair. Looking around the room, Elena notices two other girls getting ready. One is a buxom blonde with big pouty lips while the other is a ginger with beady green eyes. With a shake of the head, Elena turns away, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Miss Gilbert, my name is Jenny. I'll be doing your hair and makeup for the show," the girls says, introducing herself.

"Please call me Elena."

"You do have beautiful brown eyes, Elena. I'm going to do a blue smoky eye, not in your face but a more subdued smoky look. You really don't need much makeup, you're very beautiful."

"Thank you," Elena answers, not used to being pampered like this. By the time Jenny finishes her makeup and her hair, Elena looks stunning if she were to say so herself.

"Elena Gilbert, look at you!" Caroline squeals, giving the girl a gentle hug.

"Time to get to the set, ladies," a man with a headset and clipboard announces, directing the women onto the set. As soon as the girls sit down behind the barrier that shields them from the bachelor, the director gives them some last minutes instructions. Bored, Elena listens half-heartedly, keeping fingers crossed that the bachelor will choose one of the other two women.

The theme song for the show starts to play as the host walks out onto the stage. "Let's give a big welcome to our studio audience today and to our fans watching at home on the television screens. Today there are three lovely young ladies waiting to find out if they'll be the one chosen. Our bachelor is backstage in a sound proof room so none of what I'm telling you now about the girls will be heard by him. As soon as the show is back from a commercial break, the girls will be introduced. I'm Wes Maxfield and this is 'The Dating Game'."

The minutes tick by slowly. Finally the break ends when Wes starts to introduce the contestants. "Bachelorette number one is Rebekah. Hailing from New York City, she arrived in Las Vegas two years ago. Admitting she's here on a dare from one of her friends, Rebekah is a performer with the Circue de Soleil 'Mystere' show at Treasure Island. Please welcome Rebekah to our show, Wes says, leading the applause.

"Bachelorette number two is Sage. Being a Las Vegas native, Sage knows her way around. She runs a very successful gentlemen's club on Freemont street. Although Sage assures us that she has no lack of suitors, her goal here is to have fun. Please welcome Sage to the show," Wes adds before moving onto Elena.

And lastly, we have bachelorette number three, Elena. Elena is a transplanted Las Vegas resident, relocating here from a small town in Virginia. She is a freelance writer, having had several articles published in the Las Vegas Sun and the Review Journal. Her goal here today is to not be chosen," Wes laughs along with the audience. "We'll have to see how that works out for her. Please welcome and give another round of applause to Elena."

Within seconds the theme music starts to play again, signaling the introduction of the bachelor. "Our bachelor today is Damon. He is a bartender and proprietor of 'The Bourbon Room'. Damon's bar is located inside The Venetian hotel and casino. Damon enjoys spending time with opposite sex and riding dirt bike and canoeing with his buddies. Please give a warm dating game welcome to Damon," Wes says, leading the applause.

Damon walks onto stage, his swagger confident. Once he reaches Wes, he offers him a hand, shaking it firmly. "So Damon, there are three very lovely ladies behind that partition. At the end of the show, you'll be choosing one of them to be your date. Take that chair and we'll begin the show." Nodding, Damon walks over and sits down on the chair. As soon as Wes signals him, Damon reaches into his pocket to pull out his list of questions.

Taking a breath, Damon begins. "Bachelorette number one, let's say we're a couple and a mutual friend of ours starts to flirt with you. Would you tell me?"

"No," Rebekah laughs.

"Why not?" Damon asks, the look on his face incredulous.

"Because maybe I'm attracted to the mutual friend too."

"Okay then." Not knowing what to think about the answer, Damon continues, "Bachelorette number two, A cashier gives you back too much money, what would you do?"

"Keep it of course," Sage scoffs, rolling her eyes. Unseen by Damon, the audience starts to laugh as they are privy to the facial expressions of the contestants. Without acknowledging the answer, Damon moves on to the third girl.

"Bachelorette number three, "Is it ever okay to cheat and why?"

"Have you ever been in a relationship or just think you have that you would even remotely consider it okay to ask such a question? It's never, ever okay to cheat," Elena snaps, clearly offended by the man's stupid ass question. The audience starts to applaud wildly so much so the host has to tell the people to shush. When the ruckus finally dies down, Wes again interrupts the proceedings so the show can go to a commercial break.

A little stunned yet also captivated with number three's fire, Damon wants nothing more than to have a look at her.

Since Damon is on stage, Elena and the two other women have to keep their places behind the partition. Bored to tears, Elena stands up to stretch her limbs, glaring at Caroline who's standing behind the curtain just out of the camera's view finder. Shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably, Caroline forces an insincere smile on her lips.

"Damon, you may continue to question the ladies now." Wes informs both Damon and the audience that show will continue now.

"Bachlorette number one, What is your idea of a romantic evening?"

"Well, Damon," Rebekah begins, staring at her manicure while she speaks. "I like to be wined and dined at the best restaurants in the city. When the meal is finished, I want the man to take me dancing, ply me with champagne and take me to heights previously unknown if you get the drift."

Clearing his throat, Damon feels a surge of lust run through him. Sucking in a breath discreetly, Damon looks at his list of questions again, focusing this time on the next woman. "Bachelorette number two, What color best describes your personality and why?"

"My favorite color is green. It just goes with everything, plus my name has something to do with green. On top of all that, the word is synonymous with jealousy. I want all the girls to be jealous when I'm hanging on your arm when we go on our date."

"Okay then," Damon laughs, struck by the boldness of the answer. "Bachelorette number three, you need to cancel your weekend plans because of rain, what do you do instead?"

"Well, since my friend never seems to give me a moment's peace, I'd probably get roped into doing something with her, Elena retorts in a voice dripping with disdain. "However if I had my druthers, I'd make some popcorn, then I'd find a good movie from the nineteen thirties or forties, pop it in the DVD player and then I'd kick back and relax."

Stunned at the simplicity of her answer, Damon can't help but think of how nice it would be to do as she mentioned. Only the girl would be in his arms, sharing the huge bowl of buttered popcorn. When the audience starts to howl, Damon snaps out of his reverie and goes back to the first lady. "Bachelorette number one, "what nicknames have you had?"

"Psycho Barbie. Barbie Klaus," Rebekah laughs, causing the audience to laugh with her.

"Are you psycho? I mean you wouldn't go all Norman Bates on me if I chose you?" Damon asks, a bit wary of picking this one. Surely there's a reason why she has the word psycho in her nickname.

"That's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot," Rebekah adds, raising her eyebrows teasingly at Sage and Elena.

Damon doesn't know what to think of this answer so he brushes it off and goes onto the next one. "Bachelorette number two, what's your theme song and why?"

"Mac the Knife. And it's because I have a killer personality if you know what I mean, Damon," Sage replies, her voice low and sultry sounding.

"Um, interesting," Damon admits, a bit unsettled by and maybe even a little frightened of the woman. "Bachelorette number three, what's your biggest turn off?"

"That would be my best friend bulldozing me into doing something that I had no desire or intestinal fortitude to do," Elena replies, her voice full of rancor. Looking towards Caroline who's watching from backstage, Elena gives her a satisfied smirk when her friend fidgets nervously. Although she absolutely hates participating in this, she can't help but think that the bachelor guy has a nice voice. Although she's certain that she won't be chosen, she does try to imagine what the guy looks like. Perhaps he has messy hair, walks with a confident swagger, or perhaps he's a sloth, meaning too lazy to find a date the normal way.

Damon laughs, a deep throated real laugh. When he finally composes himself, Damon asks another question of number three. "What's the farthest you've gone not in a relationship?"

"Shaking hands," Elena retorts, staring at her manicure. Although she's trying to sound indifferent and apathetic, there is something about this guys laugh that is tweaking her desire to at least have a look at him.

"Well, how about then, the farthest you've gone in a relationship?" Damon adds, his voice full of mirth.

"Well Damon, that's none of your business."

Taken aback, Damon is caught off guard when an unexpected shiver of lust makes his dick twitch uncomfortably. Discreetly, he straightens out his pants. Trying to shake it off, Damon opens his mouth to ask another question when suddenly Wes interrupts to go to a commercial break. Raking his hand through his hair, Damon thinks about the answers that the girls have given so far. For some reason, the indifference in number three's voice intrigues him. Dropping his eyes to his lap, Damon can only wait anxiously until the show starts again. As soon as the cameras go live, Wes walks out from behind the curtain and back onto the stage. As soon as the applause dies down, the man starts to talk.

"Alright, Damon. We have time for one more question for each of the contestants before you have to make your decision. You may continue now."

"Bachelorette number one, what do you think is your best feature?"

"Oh sweetheart, that's easy.. my lips. I'm sure they'll fit around _your..._ just perfectly," Rebekah purrs. The audience breaks out in cat calls and wolf whistles. Shifting uncomfortably in the chair, Damon discreetly drops his eyes to his groin when he feels a bit of a tickle. He quickly looks up when he hears Wes start to speak again.

"Please ladies and gentlemen, quiet down, we're running out of time. You may continue, Damon," Wes announces, stepping aside once the people finally quiet down.

"Bachelorette number two, same question," Damon asks, chuckling quietly.

"Well, Damon. That would be my legs. I'd wrap them around your middle and flip us over in the blink of an eye," Sage says, raising her hand to high five Rebekah. Unbeknownst to Damon, Elena rolls her eyes. Confident that Damon won't choose her after these answers, Elena breathes a little sigh of relief.

"Last question, Damon," Wes interrupts.

"This one is for you, bachelorette number three, also the same question."

"What is my best feature? My mind," Elena responds, saying it so matter of factly that one would think Damon had asked her if the sky is blue.

"The show is going to go to one more commercial break and when we come back, Damon will make his decision." The camera goes dark again. Damon stands up to stretch out his legs a little bit. Although the man would like nothing more than to see what the girls look like, that would be breaking the rules. Something about number three intrigues him. The girl seems almost a little hostile. Surely there is a story there, Damon thinks to himself. Before long, Wes is telling him to come to stand beside him so he can announce his decision.

"Well Damon, the time has come. Which bachelorette do you choose?"

"It's a hard decision to be sure, Wes."

"Well, Damon, don't keep us waiting."

"I choose bachelorette number three." The camera pans to the three women. But as soon as things get testy between the females, their microphones are cut so the audience can't hear them go at each other.

Rebekah and Sage turn on Elena, glaring at her. Stunned, Elena's gawps, no sound coming out of her mouth. "How on earth did he choose me?" Elena asks, a shocked look on her face.

"I'd like to know that myself," Rebekah scoffs, distaste dripping from her lips as she scowls at Elena.

"Do you really think that a mouse like you could ever please a man?" Sage piles on, glaring at her as if she were a bug that the woman would like nothing more than to squash with her stilettos.

"Listen here you two bimbos, I didn't ask for him to choose me, I didn't want him to choose me so lay off," Elena defends herself, standing up with hands on her hips.

"Alright, Damon. Are you ready to meet the ladies?"

"Very much so," Damon adds.

"Bachelorette number one is Rebekah. Come out and say hello to Damon," Wes says to her. Rebekah walks out from behind the partition, smiling a big phony smile. As soon as she stands in front of Damon, the guy leans forward to press a kiss to her cheek. Not one to be spurned, Rebekah whispers in his ear, "You chose poorly." Backing away, she raises her eyebrows at him before leaving the stage. Next Sage comes out, strutting towards him, confident and cat like. Damon greets her too, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Too bad, lover, we could've had a wonderful time in my big beautiful bed," Sage whispers in his ear before sashaying off the stage. Damon can only stare, open mouthed as he watches the woman's ass swing from side to side till she disappears behind the curtain.

"And now the moment you've been waiting for, Damon. Bachelorette number three, please come out. Standing up, Elena looks for Caroline, giving the blonde a scathing look before forcing a smile on her face and walking out from behind the partition.

"Damon, this is Elena," Wes says, introducing the two of them. Damon is completely flabbergasted. The woman he's staring at is simply stunning. Finding his voice, Damon smiles the panty dropping smile that the ladies seem to swoon over before greeting the goddess that is in front of him.

"Hello, Elena," Damon says, taking her hand and pressing a tender kiss to the top of it.

"It's nice to meet you too, Damon," Elena adds, albeit a little hesitantly. Not knowing that she's up against, Elena summons every ounce of self control she has so as not to say something sarcastic. Although being chosen is worse than being boiled in oil for Elena, she has to admit that Damon is very nicely put together.

"When we get back from the break, I'll give you details of your date," Wes tells the two of them and the audience. Once the signal is given that the show is in a commercial break, Damon turns to face Elena again. The man is in awe, he cannot believe that he chose so wisely.

Elena simply doesn't know what to think. Her mind is whir of confusion and chaos. Never in her wildest imagination did she think that Damon would choose her. Despite everything being wrong here, Elena cannot get over the unworldly hue of his piercing blue eyes. They're simply dazzling in their intensity. Feeling herself about to get lost in them, the reverie is broken when the show's producer announces that that the cameras will begin filming again in ten seconds. Wes hurriedly walks back over to stand beside Elena. When the director points at the host, Wes again greets the audience before turning to face Elena and Damon.

Whether on purpose or by habit, Damon laces his fingers with Elena's. A subtle, indiscernible gasp escapes her lips when she feels sparks erupt everywhere his skin touches hers. For a millisecond, when their eyes join, Elena wonders if Damon felt the sparks too, given the way his mouth is slightly agape.

"Are you ready to learn about your date?" Wes asks, his eyes darting from the audience to the man and woman beside him and then back to the audience again.

"The two of you are going to get to spend a night by yourselves camping out in the shark tank that's inside Mandalay Bay. First you will be given a gourmet meal with an entrée and dessert of your choice along with drinks. From there you will be given complete privacy to spend a night sleeping with the sharks. How does that sound?"

There is raucous applause from the audience. Elena is actually flabbergasted. How could anyone know how important sharks are to her? When Damon squeezes her hand affectionately, Elena looks at him, almost falling captive to the fire inside of his ocean-hued blue eyes.

"Elena, how does that sound?" Wes asks, breaking the reverie.

"I'm honestly stunned," the girl admits. "I actually love sharks. What about you, Damon?" Elena queries, raising her eyes to his once more.

"The feeling is mutual, Elena. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Well ladies and gentlemen in the audience and those of you at home. We'll see you next tomorrow for a new episode of The Dating Game." Wes announces. Within seconds the camera's read light goes off. The audience stays seated because they'll be shooting another episode to air at a later date.

"When will this be on the air?" Damon asks, signaling with his finger back and forth between himself and Elena.

"We shoot three weeks in advance. This episode should air sometime during the week of the twenty eighth," Wes informs them. After that, Damon and Elena are escorted off the stage to meet with the date coordinator to set up rides and other incidental things. By the time they're finished, it's late in the afternoon. After saying goodbye to each other, Elena leaves with her friend, Caroline while Damon leaves with his buddy, Brady. Before getting into Brady's car, Damon looks around.

Quite by accident, their eyes meet from across the parking lot. Damon feels like he's under some hypnotic spell because all the man wants to do is run over to Elena, pull her into his arms and kiss her like there's no tomorrow. In this moment, it's like only Damon and Elena exist as the rest of the world just fades into nothingness.

"Damon?"

"Wha.. what?" Damon asks, confused.

"Where were you?" Brady asks.

"I'd like to know that myself."

Shaking off the stupor, Damon crawls into the passenger seat, buckles the seatbelt and rolls down the window. With Brady behind the wheel, all Damon can think about is drowning inside the brunette's endless brown eyes.

* * *

 _Big thanks to Matt for giving me the idea for this. And a huge thanks to Eva for helping me with this and all of my stories. She's really a gem and I love her to bits._

 _I have posted the final chapter of 'Dig'. The final chapter of 'Angels Fall' will be posting this week. Once it's marked complete, I will post chapter 3 of 'Turn the Page'. I have updated 'Nothing Left to Fear' twice in the last two days. Please have a look._

 _Chapter title: 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga._

 _Thank you all so much for supporting my stories. I wouldn't be here without your feedback either. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to DE just yet.. This is my small part in keeping them alive._

 _Please remember to click the Review button and follow along if you're interested in seeing their date._

 _I hope you all have a wonderful day. Be safe and we'll see you for part 2 soon._


	2. Hungry Eyes

"I oughta swat you right now for waylaying me into doing this for you, Caroline."

"Come on, Elena. As hostile as you were, no one was more surprised than me that he actually chose you," Caroline points out, her eyes on the road as she drives Elena home. "But you have to admit, the guy is hot," Caroline adds, glancing at her friend for a quick moment.

"That may be but it doesn't necessarily equate to me wanting to go out with him. Did you have a good look at the man? I mean, women probably fall all over themselves to drop their panties for him. And if Damon expects that from me, he's got another guess coming," Elena snaps, crossing her arms over chest, her eyes staring out of the passenger side window.

Caroline rolls her eyes. "Why are you so worked up anyway? You only have to go out with him once and then you'll never have to see him again. Lighten up, Elena."

"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one who has to go out with the Casanova."

"Elena, stop it now. You're being judgmental. You know nothing about him and for all you do know, he could be a very nice guy, nervous around girls like you are around guys. Just give it a rest, okay?" Caroline says, shaking her head slightly. Knowing that she can't talk to Caroline, Elena tightens her lips and doesn't say another word. After Caroline drops her off at her small house, Elena goes inside and plops onto the couch. Dropping her face into her hands, the romantic in her is warring with the logical side of her. That man probably won't want anything to do with her after she tells him in no uncertain terms that she's no easy lay, Elena thinks to herself. But if she were to look on the bright side of things, there is the opportunity to sleep with the sharks. And for that reason alone a smile breaks out on her face. Knowing there is nothing that she can do to stop the date, Elena puts her feet up, grabs her laptop and starts to work on an article for publication.

* * *

"You okay, Damon?" Brady asks, looking at his roommate curiously.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well um, you seem a little weird since we got home from the studio."

Feeling somewhat unsettled, Damon turns to face his childhood friend. "There's something about that girl, Brady."

"What girl?" Brady starts to ask. As if a lightbulb went off in his head, Brady hones in on Elena. "It's the girl you picked isn't it?"

"It was the strangest thing, Brady," Damon starts to say when an unfamiliar pang of something erupts inside his belly.

"Go on," Brady encourages, motioning with his hand for Damon to continue. Nodding, Damon takes a breath. While staring at his hands, Damon blurts out that he felt a jolt of electricity when he took Elena's hand in his own.

"Chickens coming home to roost, buddy," Brady teases, knowing how his friend is kind of a 'fuck em and chuck em' type of guy.

"Don't laugh, Brady. I'm serious about this. I don't know why I feel so unnerved after seeing her and feeling her soft skin and...," Damon adds, his voice trailing off as he ponders the significance of the day.

"You met her for five seconds, Damon. What is about this one that has you so discombobulated?" Damon shakes his head because for the life of him, he can't explain it.

"I haven't a clue, Brady. Listen, I'm going to get ready to go to work. You coming in later?"

"Yeah, I'll be there to help out. Friday nights are usually a nightmare," Brady adds, dropping onto the couch. After giving Damon an eyeful, he picks up the local newspaper and starts to read. It's then that the guy comes across an article by an Elena Gilbert. Immediately recognizing her picture, Brady jumps up to hand the paper to Damon, pointing out the Gilbert woman's article. Curious, Damon sits down to read it. The article talks about a prom for special needs children at one of the schools. Damon can't help but be struck by the story. What a fabulous idea, Damon realizes. Perhaps he could donate some money to make this possible for other special children at other schools.

"Yo, buddy, you better get your ass in gear if you're going to go to relieve Enzo at the bar."

"I'll go. You should read her article."

"Sure, I'll read, you go," Brady adds, shushing Damon with his hands.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Damon responds, raising his arms in surrender. Once he showers and changes, Damon says goodbye to his friend before hopping into car to drive over to the Venetian. By the time he strolls inside, the bar is already packed. Seeing that Enzo is swamped, he grabs an apron to give the guy a hand tending bar. Since there's a big heavy weight fight in town tonight, the crowd thins out, many of them headed over to the MGM Grand to watch the match. Even so, the bar is still brimming with customers. When Damon turns around to hand some drinks to one of the barmaids, he happens to notice Meredith Fell.

"Hello, Damon," the girl says, eyeing him seductively.

"Meredith.. what can I get you?"

"Well now that you ask, um... perhaps we could get together when you close the place?"

"Not tonight, Meredith. I have a bit of a stomach flu. The only reason I'm here is because Enzo was swamped."

"You don't look sick?" Meredith asks skeptically.

"Oh but I am. My belly is roiling. As a matter of fact, I need to use the bathroom again," Damon says with a straight face. Crinkling her brows, Meredith watches as Damon darts out from behind the bar and heads to the office. Rather than take no for an answer, she follows him. Meredith has some very fond memories of that office, most of them have to do with her wonton body spread out beneath him as the two of them went at it on the pool table. With Damon's back turned, Meredith slips quietly into his office, immediately untying her halter dress, letting it slink to the floor to pool around her ankles. With a smirk on her face, she clears her throat to get his attention.

Not in a mood to be bothered, Damon turns around ready to lay into whoever it is. The words stop in his throat when he sees Meredith standing there. As enticing as she looks and as hard as it is, Damon walks over, stoops down to pick up her dress and then covers her back up. After sharing a displeased look with her, he ties the straps, securing it around her neck.

"Not tonight, Meredith, I told you I'm busy and that I don't feel good."

"That's never stopped you before," she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. Damon doesn't know what to think. Rarely does he turn down the offer of sex. Meredith is hot but when he looks at the desirable woman in front of him, he has to do a double take when Meredith's face morphs into that of one Elena Gilbert. Damon shakes his head in dismay before taking another look. Having only spent a few moments with ' _that'_ woman, Damon is at a loss to explain much less understand the hold she already seems to have on him. After giving him a scathing glare, she turns on her heels and marches out of his office, slamming the door closed behind her.

After shaking his head a second time, he walks over to grab the bottle of Pappy Van Winkle out of his desk drawer and takes a deep pull, savoring the burn as it goes down. Dropping into his chair, he licks his lips then puts the bourbon away. Damon sits there for several minutes. Knowing that it's useless to try to figure things out right now, Damon straightens out his attire then goes back out to help Enzo and Brady with the customers.

* * *

"Elena, are you home?" Caroline asks, walking into her friend's house without even bothering to knock. Not seeing Elena in the living room, Caroline walks into the kitchen to see if her friend is there. "Here you are."

Jumping when she hears the footsteps, Elena reaches for a butcher knife. It's only when she hears the voice that she drops the weapon. Turning around, she scolds her friend. "What the hell, Caroline? I had a knife in my hand. I could have stabbed you."

"Who else would just walk in?" Caroline asks, looking down her nose at Elena.

"I don't know. You should've given me a head's up that you were coming or at least pushed the doorbell."

"Fine, next time, I ring the doorbell. Are you happy now?"

"Extremely. Now why are you here?"

"We need to decide what you're going to wear for your date with Mr. Hottie."

"Don't even go there," Elena warns, raising her palm.

"But Elena, you need to look your best."

"I'll find something to wear. I'm perfectly capable of getting myself dressed. It's not like I haven't been doing so since.. you know, I was toddler," Elena adds, continuing the rant.

"Stop it right now, Elena. You're acting like a child. It's only one night. Now I know the shark part of your date is right up your alley. You can probably change into jeans and a tee shirt for that but you need a dress and heels for the dinner date."

"Caroline, I'll find something. Don't worry about it."

"You do realize that you can't back out."

"Duh!? Look, let's just put this aside for now. I have an article that I need to get written."

"Alright, I'm leaving. I'll talk to you later if that's okay?"

"Of course," Elena concedes, giving Caroline a hug. After giving Elena a smile, Caroline says goodbye and walks out of the kitchen door. As soon as Caroline is gone, Elena goes back to work on the article. It's about the centennial of the 1916 shark attacks on the New Jersey shore. Fascinated by sharks, Elena knows all about the event.

In the summer of 1916, panic struck the Jersey Shore. A shark sunk its teeth into Charles Vansant, the twenty five year old son of a Philadelphia businessman, out for an evening swim in the resort town of Beach Haven on July first. A lifeguard pulled him ashore, but he quickly bled to death. Five days later, and forty five miles to the north, in Spring Lake, New Jersey, Charles Bruder, a young bellhop at a local hotel, met a similar fate.

The rogue, what was thought to be a great white, then traveled thirty miles north of Spring Lake and into Matawan Creek. On July twelfth, eleven year old Lester Stillwell was playing in the creek sixteen miles inland when the shark attacked. A young man named Watson Stanley Fisher attempted to save the boy, but was fatally injured in the process. Joseph Dunn was luckier. The teenager, the shark's fifth and final victim, was bitten in the creek less than a half-hour later and survived.

Wanting to get a little more information, Elena picks up her phone to try to reach a historian who is writing a story about the event. Surprised when the man answers the phone himself, Elena asks him about his book and about the centennial. Once the expert agrees to let her record the conversation for her article, Elena begins to ask him some questions.

"Can you tell me a little bit about your book?"

"The book will be centered around the Matawan creek victims, Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher. There were almost three hundred people at the Wyckoff dock telling him, "Don't do this, the shark could still be in there." Stanley dove in anyway to try to save Lester. The creek was deep at that time. Stanley's search went on for an hour. When he finally found Lester's body and started to bring it to the surface, the shark attacked, tearing into his right leg. Although he tried to fight, punching the shark, he had an eighteen inch would, the flesh was taken off his leg all the way to the bone. And as you know, both of them died."

"That's so heroic yet so tragic," Elena mentions, listening intently to the man as he tells the story. "Do you know of the events that are being planned?"

"On July tenth, there will be a wreath laying at the graves of Stanley and Lester. Later in the day, a live shark will be available for people to view courtesy of a local aquarium. On Sunday, I will be giving a one hour presentation on the attacks. The story remains compelling all these years later because the impulse that drove Fisher to try to help the boy are timeless. It happens today too. You see people stopping to help others stranded on the roadside, running into burning building to save the lives of total strangers," the man adds.

"People are amazing," Elena adds. After they talk for a little longer, the man says he has to go so Elena hangs up. Taking the information, Elena writes her article then emails it to the editor for publication.

* * *

"Hey Brady, how about we take the day off? I could use some R & R," Damon asks, looking up from the newspaper he's reading.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking that we could take the canoe out on Lake Mead. We haven't done that for quite some time," Damon points out, taking a swallow from his coffee cup.

"That sounds fantastic but who's going to man the bar while we're out having fun?" Brady asks, staring pointedly at Damon.

"I'll just offer Enzo a little extra and there's always Jenna. She's usually gung ho to earn the big bucks."

"Why don't you give her a call and if she's agreeable, you can help me load up the canoe."

"Sure," Damon adds. Getting up to put the dirty dishes in the sink, Damon goes upstairs to his bedroom to grab his cellphone. Unhooking it from the charger, he quickly calls Jenna to see if she'll help Enzo out. When she agrees, Damon thanks her profusely and promises to make it up to her. After clicking off the phone, he goes into his closet to change into a pair of denim shorts and a tee shirt. Pulling a baseball cap off the shelf, Damon puts in on then goes to find Brady to help him load the boat on top of the SUV that he drives.

As soon as the men reach the launching point at the El Dorado Canyon, Damon and Brady put on their life jackets then carry the canoe into the water. Once it's waist deep, Brady climbs in followed by Damon. Each taking a paddle, they start to work their way through the canyon. The scenery is completely beautiful in here, Damon thinks to himself. The sun reflects off of the steep canyon walls. The granite cliffs are stark and majestic. With the water rough and dangerous, the two continue to paddle around, loving this despite the danger.

"So the big date is tomorrow night... Are you excited or dreading it?" Brady asks, making conversation as he continues to paddle as the drag on the canoe slows them down a bit.

"Do you want the truth?" Damon asks, laughing a little inappropriately given how anxious he is to see Elena again.

"What do you think?"

"I feel a little unsettled, Brady. You know in 'The Dark Knight' when the Joker mentions how an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object?"

"Yeah, I remember the movie but what on earth are you talking about?"

"It feels like she's the unstoppable force and I'm the immoveable object," Damon begins, paddling the canoe in time with Brady's strokes. "I was only with her for those few moments and yet I feel completely under her spell. How does that work?" Damon asks, his mind a whir of confusing and contradictory emotions.

"Well, Damon... perhaps she's the proverbial ' _the one_ '? Or maybe after you spend more time with Elena, you'll want nothing more to do with her. After all, she did seem pretty hostile, especially when you asked if cheating is ever okay."

"She let me have it with both barrels," Damon laughs. "But for all I know, she may have some personal experience with being cheated on. Maybe that's why she was so irate about that question?"

"Maybe," Brady concurs. Pulling the paddle out of the water, Damon points out the beauty of the stark granite walls of Blackwater Canyon.

"We should go hiking in here sometime," Damon mentions. Suddenly Brady yells that there are rapids ahead. Knowing the water will be rough, Damon makes sure his PFD is secure and then tightens his hold on the oar as the two men maneuver their way through the rough waters. Although treacherous, the water finally calms, the stillness eerie compared to what the guys have just been through. Expelling a breath, Damon closes his eyes, the sense of satisfaction keen. When Damon looks around, he sees a brown haired girl walking along the sand, her crisp, bright yellow sun dress being blown by the breeze. Although the woman doesn't notice him and the distance is too great for Damon to see into her eyes, he knows it's _her_ just by the way his heart is thrumming like a locomotive inside his chest.

* * *

By the time Elena and her friend Kol get home from Lake Mead National Recreation area, she's beyond exhausted. Tomorrow Elena has her date with the bachelor, Damon. Yawning, she looks up just in time to see Kol run past, beating Elena into the house. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Elena asks, plopping down on the couch beside him. Raising her feet on the end table, Elena leans onto his shoulder. Having known Kol since eighth grade, Elena was more than thrilled when he decided to pack his bags and move to Las Vegas too. Although Kol and Caroline are friendly, they're really not the best of friends. In actuality, Caroline has a jealous streak. Kol laughs at it of course but it bothers Elena when Caroline bad mouths her other friends.

"No hurry. Penny for your thoughts?" After throwing an arm around her shoulders, Kol, exhausted himself, lays his head back.

"My date is tomorrow night. I'm a bit nervous about it."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Kol. He's hot for one thing. I wasn't exactly on my best behavior when I answered some of his questions," Elena admits, covering her mouth when she yawns.

"Caroline did mention that you were a little hot under the collar that day," Kol laughs.

"I didn't want to be there and then one of his questions was if cheating is ever okay. I lost it."

"That's understandable Elena. I mean, after Mason pulled that crap on you, it's perfectly natural for you to get defensive over a question like that."

"That may be but Damon doesn't know that."

"You're only going on one date. And look on the bright side, you get to spend the night sleeping in the shark tank. If nothing else, I know that's your idea of Nirvana. Just be yourself and have fun," Kol advises, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"But what if I like him? I felt this tingle when he took my hand. The feeling was foreign, weird yet magical too."

"Are you smitten, Elena Gilbert?" Kol teases, smiling widely at Elena.

"I don't know, Kol. I guess we'll see how I feel after tomorrow," Elena adds, yawning again.

"Why don't you lay down here on the couch and I'll make us some supper," Kol says, getting up. After Elena lays down, Kol covers her with a light fleece blanket. Once he closes the curtains and leaves the room, Elena closes her eyes, the blue of his eyes is the last thing she sees before drifting into slumber.

* * *

"Who are you and what happened to the real Damon Salvatore?" Brady asks when he steps into Damon's bedroom.

"What? The meal is at a five star restaurant in Mandalay Bay. I can't very well show up in jeans and a tee shirt," Damon points out, adjusting his tie.

"So you're going to wear that all night, even when you're sleeping with the sharks?"

"Actually I'm not. I'm going to take a change of clothes with me. I have no idea what kind of arrangements they have for us to sleep. I mean, surely they'll have some blankets, pillows, I don't know?" Damon mentions, turning to face his friend.

"That's probably a good idea. But where are you going to change?" Damon looks over at Brady who raises his eyebrows teasingly. Shaking his head, Damon sits down on the bed. Dropping his face into his hands, he doesn't know why he feels so uncharacteristically nervous about spending time with Elena. Never in his life has Damon felt so out of sorts as it were except when...

"You're going to have a wonderful time, buddy. Just relax and enjoy it and for all you know, she might be feeling the same things you're feeling? It's possible right?"

"I guess," Damon admits, raising his eyes, meeting Brady's. As much as the thought excites him, Damon has his doubts as to whether Elena is feeling the same things. After all, she was pretty abrupt, prickly with some of her responses. "Get a grip," Damon thinks to himself.

"Lighten up, you're going to be miserable if you're so serious. And I know that you like sharks, Damon. It will be amazing to sleep in that tunnel with the sea life swimming all around. I envy you that," Brady adds. After giving Damon's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Brady walks out to let Damon finish getting ready. Taking a deep breath, Damon stares at nothingness for a few moments before getting up to use the bathroom and primp a little more.

* * *

Having heard enough of Caroline scolding Elena, Kol stands up and lifts a strand of Elena's hair off of her face. Looking over the bathroom countertop, Kol smiles when he sees what he's looking for. Picking it up, Kol nudges Caroline out of the way, takes Elena's hair in his hands, using the elastic band to pull her hair into a ponytail.

"I never." Immediately Caroline gives Kol a shove before grabbing onto Elena's hair. "Elena, hold still," Caroline squawks, her scowl reflecting off the mirror right at Elena.

"Caroline, chill," Kol admonishes, his gaze honing in on Elena who's obviously frustrated to be at the mercy of Caroline Forbes.

"Why are you here anyway, Kol? I mean, exactly what are you contributing to this?" Caroline asks, her hands motioning all over the place.

"Caroline?!" Elena blurts out. "Be nice. Kol is here for moral support."

"Exactly why do you need moral support? Aren't I enough?" Caroline asks, melodramatically running the back of her hand across her forehead while rolling her eyes.

"Because you tend to go a bit overboard, Caroline," Elena mutters, scowling when Caroline starts to pull on her hair. This close to blowing up, Elena glares at Caroline's reflection in the mirror. "I like the ponytail."

"But Elena, you're going to a five star restaurant, you should be dressed to the nines."

"There's nothing wrong with her hair, Caroline," Kol interrupts, quirking an eyebrow at Elena.

"You're no help, Kol. Get my makeup bag. I want to make a nice smoky eye look."

"Darling Caroline, it's Elena's date, not yours."

"If you're such an expert, what would you have me do, Kol?" Caroline asks, glaring at him as if the man had two heads or something.

"You know as well as I do that she likes her makeup more subtle. Elena doesn't need all the goop to look beautiful," Kol adds, his eyes meeting Elena's when he looks in the mirror. 'Thanks' Elena mouths to him much to Caroline's chagrin.

"Fine, Elena. We'll do it your way," Caroline finally agrees. As soon as Elena's make up is done, Caroline steps back so Elena can get up and put her dress on. Relieved to finally be done, Elena quickly slips into her dress and heels before glancing at herself in the mirror once more.

"You look fabulous," both Caroline and Kol squeal. Just as Elena starts to open her mouth, the doorbell rings. Knowing that it's the zero hour, Elena shares a quick look with Kol. "Here goes nothing," Elena mumbles, nervously walking to the front door. With a shaky hand, Elena clasps onto the doorknob, squeezing it slightly. When she pulls the door open and her eyes meet his, their breaths hitch simultaneously. Staring into his piercing blue eyes, Elena feels like Alice falling through the looking glass, his hypnotic gaze consuming everything in its path.

* * *

 _Thanks so much, Eva for putting up with my incessant emails, bellyaching and for cheering me up when I need it. Love you lots and lots._

 _Massive thanks to all of you for giving this a warm welcome. Thank you, really._

 _Chapter title: 'Hungry Eyes' by Eric Carmen._

 _Part 3 is the date and it's over 7000 words._

 _Please give 'Nothing Left to Fear' and 'Turn the Page' a look too. I have posted the first chapter of 'Seven Year Ache'. Both Eva and I are pretty proud of the way it turned out. I would love to hear your thoughts on it._

 _Be safe and have a wonderful day. We'll see you next time. Please do click that *REVIEW* button. Bye, bye, I have to go to work._


	3. At the Beginning

"Hello, Elena. You look stunning if it isn't obvious."

"Hi yourself and thank you. You clean up pretty nice yourself," Elena admits truthfully. Damon can't help but look her over from head to toe. The woman is simply gorgeous. Her dress is a very pretty royal blue spaghetti strap frock that hits just above the knee. She's wearing blue heels. The ponytail alone is enough to make his pants tight. Images of running his fingers through her chestnut tresses fill Damon's mind as he stares at the woman in front of him. An easy smile forms on his face when he's snapped out of his reverie by the sound of her voice. Leaning over just slightly to see around him, Elena's mouth drops when she notices the limousine waiting to transport them to the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.

"Surprised by our transportation?" Damon asks, stepping aside so Elena can have a better look.

"I guess I wasn't expecting something so elaborate."

"The show didn't call?"

"Yes, they called but I wasn't expecting a limo, I was thinking maybe a cab."

"I was a little taken aback myself," Damon mentions. With the butterflies alight in his belly, Damon sucks in an almost indiscreet breath then asks Elena if she's ready to go.

"Yes. I just need to grab my bag. I'll be right back," Elena tells him, motioning for Damon to step in the house for a moment while she grabs her purse and overnight bag. As soon as she picks up what she needs, she walks back to the foyer where Damon is waiting patiently for her. "I wanted to bring a change of clothes since we're going to be sleeping with the sharks."

"Actually, I thought of the same thing. Great minds and all," Damon laughs. "Let me take it for you," he starts to say when voices attract his attention, silencing him.

"These are my friends," Elena tells him, pointing to Kol and Caroline who are peeking around the corner at Damon and Elena.

After sharing a look with Elena, Damon walks over to Elena's friends, extending his hand. "I'm Damon," he introduces himself, first shaking Caroline's hand and then Kol's. Impressed with Damon's manners, Kol gives Elena a thumb's up.

"I think we should leave," Elena says to Damon, brushing off Kol's embarrassing gesture.

Damon nods, extending his elbow for Elena to latch onto. Sucking in a breath, Elena bites her lower lip and then threads her arm though his. The two of them walk outside and disappear into the limo. As soon as it pulls away from the curb, Kol and Caroline share a big satisfied grin knowing that their friend is about to be swept off of her feet whether she likes it or not.

* * *

"I'm sorry about my friends, they're a little overzealous," Elena says softly, chancing a glance at Damon. With her nerves alight, Elena can feel how clammy her palms are. Not wanting to wipe them on her dress, Elena presses her palms down on the car's upholstery.

Nervous and jittery all the way over, Damon tries to make small talk. "What do you do, Elena?"

"I'm a freelance writer."

"Really? So you can choose what you want to write about or does an editor contact you about writing something specific?"

"A little of both. I actually just submitted an article about the centennial of the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersey Shore. I'm hoping people will find it of interest," Elena says, an unwitting smile forming on her face.

"That's really interesting. I hope you'll tell me more about it."

"I interviewed a Matawan, New Jersey historian about the attacks. I knew of the attacks from reading a book. It was only when I was doing some online research on another story that I happened to come across an article about plans for the centennial remembrance. What do you do?" Elena asks, changing the subject.

"I own The Bourbon Room at the Venetian."

"I kind of remember Wes Maxfield mentioning that when you were introduced. I've never been in there, though."

"Let me be the first to invite you, Elena. We have live entertainment plus a dance floor."

"That's amazing," Elena admits, wondering how someone as young as Damon could afford such an expense. Just as Elena opens her mouth to ask him another question, the limo driver announces their arrival. Pulling into the drop off lane, the driver steps out to open the door for Damon and Elena. The man informs them that he'll be back at noon the next day to pick them up. Before leaving, the guy hands Damon their overnight bags. As soon as Damon hands him a tip, the driver hops back in the limo and drives off.

'Here goes nothing', Damon thinks to himself before taking Elena's hand in his own. Just after they step inside the Mandalay Bay hotel, one of the employees walks over to them to introduce himself.

"Mr. Salvatore, Miss Gilbert, my name is Matt Donovan and I'm here to escort you to the 'Charlie Palmer Steak House' here in Mandalay Bay. When you finish your meals and drinks, the manager will notify me so that I can come back and escort you to the Shark Reef Aquarium."

"Thank you, Mr. Donovan."

"Yes, thank you," Damon repeats, venturing a smile at Elena.

"It's my pleasure. Please follow me," Matt says, extending his hand to shake both Damon and Elena's. Following after Matt, Damon can feel by the way Elena is holding onto his hand that she's relaxing just a little bit. It's obvious to him that she's as nervous about tonight as he is. They follow along beside Matt as he tells them about the casino and its amenities as they walk along. When they reach the steakhouse, Matt walks them over to the reservation desk. Telling the woman who Damon and Elena are, she smiles widely at the two of them. After the introductions, Matt tells them he'll see them later, takes their bags and then departs. Picking up the phone, the woman calls someone over to seat us. When another man appears, he also smiles at the couple.

"I'm going to go to see if your table is ready, Mr. Salvatore, Miss Gilbert. Truthfully it is one of the best seats in the house," the maître de tells them. The man gives Damon a nod then hurries off. Seeing a bouquet of roses, Damon walks over, plucks one out of the vase and hands it to her. Stunned but pleasantly surprised, Elena is just about to say thank you when the maître d reappears. Picking up a couple of menus including a drink menu, the man leads them to their table. Once the man seats them, he hands them each a menu, tells them that their server will be over shortly and then departs, leaving Damon and Elena to get a little better acquainted.

Perusing the menu, Elena swallows thickly as she looks at the pictures of these huge cuts of meat. Knowing that she'll never be able to eat one by herself, she looks at what else the place has to offer. About to open her mouth to say something to Damon, the waitress interrupts her train of thought when she introduces herself.

"My name is Vicky. I'll be your waitress. Tonight's special is Maryland style blackened swordfish with a blue crab hollandaise sauce. It's very tasty."

"That does sound quite good," Elena agrees, sharing a quick look with Damon before dropping her eyes to the menu again.

"Perhaps we could get some drinks first?" Damon asks.

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore. What can I get for you?"

"Elena?"

"A Mai Tai."

"And you, sir?"

"I'll have the Old Fashioned," Damon tells her.

"Would you like any appetizers?"

"None for me um unless you want something, Damon?"

"No, I think our entrees will be food enough," Damon says to Vicky. After taking their drink orders, Vicky excuses herself to take their beverage requests to the bartender. As soon as the waitress brings them back, Vicky takes the food orders.

"Have you decided what you want?" Vicky asks.

"Yes, I think I'll have that swordfish you mentioned with a truffle baked potato."

"Excellent choice. And you, sir?"

"I'll have the New York strip, medium rare with the Charlie Palmer fries."

"Also an excellent choice. I'll bring you some water and condiments after I turn these in. Please let me know if I can make your dining experience more pleasant."

"We will, thank you, Vicky," Damon tells her, facing Elena as soon as she walks away. Looking at Elena, Damon notices how she's looking at everything and everyone but him. Taking a breath, he reaches across the table, putting his hand atop hers.

"Look Elena, I'm just as nervous about all of this as you are. What do you say we just take five minutes and relax and enjoy ourselves tonight?"

"You're right, I don't know why I'm so jumpy. It's just that I wasn't even supposed to participate. They chose my friend, Caroline. She was at the house earlier when you picked me up. But since she's got a new boyfriend, she backed out, played the girlfriend card and here I am." Damon's laugh breaks the ice for Elena. Curious as to what's so funny, she asks him why he's laughing.

"One of my friends dared me to go on the show. So it seems neither of us did this by choice," Damon adds, shaking his head.

Suddenly feeling more at ease, Elena smiles at him. About to ask him a question, Vicky interrupts when she brings their entrees to them. "The fish is for you," she says, setting the plate in front of Elena. "And the steak for you." After setting the plate in front of Damon, she turns to her side to pick up their side dishes, placing them by their plates. "Do you need a drink refill?" Vicky asks them.

"Sure. Elena?" Damon asks, his eyes only on hers.

"Why not? I'm not driving tonight anyway." Nodding, Vicky hands them some steak sauce and other condiments, refills their water glasses then excuses herself to get them each another drink.

Taking a bit of her swordfish, Elena savors the flavors that erupt on her taste buds. Unable to stop the moan that leaves her lips, Elena feels her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Her moan goes straight to Damon's dick. Trying to be discreet, he shifts in his chair to try to rearrange his now tight pants. After taking a swallow of water, Elena sets it down then smiles at Damon. What can you tell me about yourself Damon? Are you a Vegas native?"

"No, I grew up in Montana. My dad remarried a couple of years after my mom died. As cliché as it sounds, the woman really was the evil stepmother. Dad was only thirty six when he died of a heart attack. He didn't have a will. She took everything she could get her hands on, packed up my stepbrother and disappeared. I was eleven years old and left to fend for myself. When my Uncle Zach realized that Rose left me in the custody of the state, he adopted me. That's how I ended up here. So I have a stepbrother out there that I know nothing about. He was three the last time I saw him."

"Damon, it must have been quite stressful for you as a young boy?"

"It was but I was lucky that I had an uncle who was willing to take me into his home."

"Have you ever tried to find your brother?"

"No, not really. I mean, he wouldn't even know me anymore. Knowing how cunning Rose was, she probably changed their names. But what about you?"

"I grew up on the outer banks of North Carolina. It's beautiful there and sometimes I want nothing more than to go back, especially during the inferno otherwise known as summer in Las Vegas. I'm not close to my parents. Dad is a renowned surgeon in Durham and my mother is a professor of philosophy at Duke University. They didn't have much time for me when I was growing up. And when I chose journalism over a career in medicine, well let's just say that it didn't go over very well. I was offered a job with a second rate newspaper here in town. Seeing an opportunity for bigger and better things, I packed my bags. My friends, Kol and Caroline moved out here with me. Kol shares the house with me but he travels a lot for his job so I often have the house to myself. I kind of like that," Elena admits, her eyes meeting Damon's.

"That's really a brave thing to do, Elena. You should be really proud of yourself," Damon adds, taking another bite of his steak. Elena and Damon finish their meal talking about incidental things, their hobbies and likes and how they like to spend their free time. Before they know it, Vicky is back at their table to refill their water glasses.

"How about some dessert?" Vicky asks, a smile on their face. "The bananas foster is excellent as are the seasonal berries in crème fraiche."

"I like bananas, Elena. How about you?"

"That sounds wonderful, Damon."

"You heard the lady, Vicky, but I think we'll share one serving," Damon tells her, rubbing his already full belly.

"Alright then, I'll be back shortly. After serving them dessert, they eat it up, enjoying the flavors as they go down. "This is delicious," Elena mentions, taking another bite. When they finish, Vicky escorts them over to the reservation area to have a seat. Damon pulls some cash out of his pocket to give Vicky for a tip. Afterward, he and Elena step outside the restaurant to wait for Mr. Donovan to escort them to the Shark Reef Aquarium. Barely five minutes have passed when Matt comes strolling towards them.

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"I don't know about Damon but I'm stuffed," Elena laughs, feeling more at ease with a few drinks under her belt. Damon nods, indicating that he's completely full too.

"It was one of the best meals I ever had," Damon adds, smiling at Elena. Getting up, the couple walk beside Matt as he leads them to where they'll be spending the night. When the group arrives, another man joins them to unlock the back entrance and lead them inside. Matt shows them that in addition to the sharks there are also other wildlife exhibits. When they get farther inside, Damon and Elena are introduced to a couple more people

"As a surprise, the two of you are going to get to swim with the sharks. Are either of you scuba certified?" the man asks.

"Actually I am," Elena says, looking at the man and then at Damon. "It's a hobby that Kol and I took up after we moved here."

"That's great, Elena," Damon admits, telling the guide that he too is scuba certified.

"Great. After the dive, you two will be sleeping in the tunnel with water and sharks surround you. How does that sound?"

"I'm very excited," Elena squeals, an absolutely giddy smile forming on her face. Damon finds himself falling captive to her beautiful smile and her doe eyes. The guide then takes them to a shower room so the two of them can change into their scuba gear and chain mail. When they come out, the man meets them again, leading Damon and Elena to where they're going to get into the water.

"There are over thirty sharks in here. There are Sand tiger, Sandbar, Gray Reef and Galapagos sharks. There are also Nurse sharks, Zebra sharks, White Tip Reef sharks. And in addition to the sharks, there are Southern Stingrays, Green Sawfish and various species of bony fish. The chain mail allows you to experience the dive with no concern for your safety. This also enable us here at the aquarium to have minimum impact on the sharks behavior. It provides our guest divers the most naturalistic experience possible," the man explains to Damon and Elena.

"The shipwreck exhibit is 1.3 million gallons of salt water. The temperature is maintained at seventy four to seventy eight degrees and the tank has a maximum depth of twenty two feet."

"What about taking pictures?" Elena asks.

"A professional video of your dive and the exhibit will be made available to you. Since this dive is being paid for by 'The Dating Game' studio, you will each be given a copy of the it to commemorate your date."

After the man goes over the rules and tells Damon and Elena that the dive will last approximately forty five minutes, the two of them follow him into the water. It's beautiful and crystal clear. Although petting the sea creatures isn't allowed, Damon and Elena are still completely captivated by the splendor of this date. Being able to swim with the sharks was totally unexpected and yet it'll be the best part of the date for both of them. Staying close to the guide, Damon gets Elena's attention by grabbing on her lower arm. When she looks at him curiously, he points out the stingray. Damon is completely transfixed by the way the ray soars through the water. This night is something that he'll never forget. It's not just the fact that he is swimming with sharks, it's the fact that he gets to be here with Elena. Damon can't help but stare at her for a moment. When her eyes join his, Elena gives him a thumb's up. The woman seems completely comfortable in this environment. Damon is happy that she's been able to relax enough to truly enjoy this night.

By the time Elena climbs out of the water, she feels tired but yet still feels a surge of adrenaline when she watches Damon climb out of the tank too. The man is sure put together well. Unconsciously licking her lips, she can't help but admire his sleek physique and the perfectly shaped V, defined by his wet suit which makes her blood ignite.

For his part, Damon sees how her curves are outlined beautifully by her wet suit. He's like nothing more than to lick the drops off water off every inch of her gloriously naked body. A shiver runs through him when she bends over to pick up the goggles that she dropped, her pert little backside enhancing his already growing bulge.

The dive guide follows Damon out of the water. Once they take off their goggles and oxygen tanks, the man directs them to the showers so they can clean up and change clothes. Pointing to their overnight bags, Damon picks up Elena's hands it to her and then picks up his own, following her till he reaches the men's shower room. Walking inside along with the other man, they strip out of their wet suits then hop into adjoining showers. Once Damon finishes, he slips into his jeans and tee shirt, and a pair of slip on boat shoes.

For her part, Elena showers, washes her hair and changes into her own casual wear, jeans, low cut white tee shirt and a pair of flip flops. When she walks out, Damon is waiting for her. His hair is still wet, beads of moisture on his forehead that she'd like to lick off. 'Control yourself' Elena thinks to herself. When the man smiles a big goofy grin at her, Elena can't help but smile back at him. The night has been magical so far. Perhaps the two of them can get to know each other a little better?

"Are you two ready to spend the night in the tunnel?" James, their guide asks.

"Absolutely," Damon says without hesitation.

"Elena?" James asks, a twinkle in his eye because he knows how much people enjoy this sort of thing.

"More than ready," Elena adds, her insides churning with both excitement and nervousness. James leads them to the tunnel. It's like a tube inside the ocean has an almost 360 degree view of the fish. It's really striking and beautiful, Elena muses, chancing a look at Damon who meets her gaze with smile. There are two air mattresses laid end to end along with a blanket and pillow for each of them. After James hands them a cooler with drinks and snacks in it, he tells them that he'll be back in the morning. As soon as he says goodnight, leaving Damon and Elena alone, she walks over to the wall of the tunnel, pressing her palms against it as she gets lost in the magnificence of the place.

"It's been a spectacular night already," Damon mentions, stepping beside her at the acrylic wall. "Have you ever watched that show, 'Tanked'? It's about a couple of guys that build acrylic fish tanks. Anyway, I believe that they built this place."

"No, I've never watched it but I'll have to. What channel is it on?" Elena asks, turning her head to face him.

"It's one of my guilty pleasures. It's on the Animal Planet station."

"It sounds great."

"It is a really good show, they build them for celebrities, businesses, I even watched an episode where they made one for a church in Texas."

"Really? They must have a great reputation."

"Indeed... um, Elena, do you want to sit down? I'd like to get to know you a little better."

"Sure," Elena agrees, sitting down on the floor of the tunnel. Crossing her legs over her lap, she watches he sits down opposite from her.

"What do you suggest?" Elena asks, dropping her eyes to her now clammy palms.

"How about we ask each other questions, you know like the show? Do you want to go first or should I?" Damon asks, feeling a little out of sorts himself but he does know with certainty that he wants to know more about the woman that he's going to share the night with.

"Um, what is your favorite sport?"

"I like baseball. My uncle Zach was a Dodgers fan so he used to take me to games once or twice a season."

"Is he gone too?" Elena asks sensing the sudden melancholy in his voice. Staring at him, she reaches over, offering her hand.

"Yeah, he died a couple of years ago. That's how I came to own 'The Bourbon Room'. Since he had no other family, I was his sole beneficiary," Damon admits. Turning away for a moment, he pinches the bridge of his nose. After sucking in a breath, Damon turns back to Elena.

"I'm really sorry, Damon."

"Thank you. But what about you? Do you have a favorite sport?"

"Honestly, it's not traditional. I love to go kayaking and canoeing on Lake Mead and elsewhere. I enjoy it a lot. Someday I'd like to ride the Colorado River rapids in the Grand Canyon."

"Really? I love to do that too. Wow, the Colorado has some pretty turbulent waters. Have you ever heard the story of that honeymoon couple who disappeared doing just that?"

"No, do tell," Elena blurts out excitedly.

"Glen and Bessie Hyde were a newlywed couple from Twin Falls, Idaho who decided to spend their honeymoon going on a rafting trip down the Green and Colorado Rivers in October of 1928. On November 15, they stopped at the home of a photographer named Emory Kolb to restock supplies. Shortly after leaving Kolb's property, they disappeared. In December, a rescue party found the Hydes' abandoned boat on the river. The boat's tow line had gotten caught on something underwater and while the scow was fully stocked with supplies and all the couple's personal belongings, there was no sign of Glen or Bessie.

Since Glen had refused to bring any life jackets on the trip, it was theorized that the couple had either drowned or attempted to hike out of the Grand Canyon and died in the woods. Over the years, their disappearance has been surrounded with urban legends involving murder. In 1971, a woman named came forward claiming that she was Bessie Hyde and that she had stabbed her husband to death before going off to start a new life. However, she later recanted her story. After Emory Kolb died, skeletal remains were found on his property with a bullet wound in the skull. These remains were initially believed to be Glen, but turned out to be someone else. After nearly 85 years, there is still no conclusive ending to the story of Glen and Bessie Hyde."

"Wow, I'm going to write a story about them. It's a fascinating tale."

"Glad I could help out," Damon laughs a bit before continuing, "It just shows how dangerous the Colorado River is but I'm sure it would be very exciting too." Taking a little gamble, Damon slides over so he can be a little closer to Elena. As soon as their skin touches, Elena tenses slightly when her breath hitches. After a few seconds pass, he can feel her relax next to him. Again, Damon is struck by how beautiful Elena is. Even now, with no makeup and her hair a little unruly after the swim, she's never looked prettier in his eyes.

"My turn. Damon. What kind of movies do you like?" Elena asks, her eyes drifting to a ray that soars into near the tank's wall. Completely fixated, she keeps her eyes on it till it disappears into the further recesses of the tank.

"Movies? Well, I still love to watch the original Indiana Jones trilogy. And call me a geek but I still love 'The Goonies' too," Damon laughs, raising his eyes to one of the many sharks that swims around them. "I like Hitchcock too. 'Rebecca' is actually my favorite of his. It won the best picture Academy Award in 1940."

"I've seen that one. I love Hitchcock too. I'm also an avid Cary Grant fan. I love almost all of his Hitchcock movies, 'Notorious', 'Suspicion' and 'North by Northwest' are my favorite. But I also love him in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' and 'My Favorite Wife'."

"Those are all great ones, Elena. I like Cary Grant too. I'd say that 'Arsenic' is my favorite though. It's hysterical," Damon laughs, shaking his head. It warms his insides to see a genuine smile on her face. He is glad that he found a topic that put her at ease at least for the time being.

"What type of music do you like?" Elena continues, her attention once again taken by one a sawfish as it swims into view.

"I like the rock music from the seventies and eighties mainly. I like some of today's stuff too but it's not the same."

"You're right about that," Elena agrees. Repositioning herself, she lays on her side on the mattress so Damon figures he may as well too and soon they're facing each other.

"Favorite place?" Damon asks, rolling onto his back so he can take in the stark beauty of the aquarium and its inhabitants.

"My favorite place is the Grand Canyon," Elena admits, following Damon's lead and rolling on her back too. "What about you?"

"Yellowstone. I've been there a couple of times but I would love to go back again and go hiking into some of the areas that are only visible that way. It's such a magnificent place," Damon muses, thinking to himself how great if would be if he could take her there someday. "Have you ever been there?"

"No, it's on my bucket list though," Elena adds, turning to face Damon.

"There's something that's been on my mind since we filmed the TV show.."

"Go ahead, you can ask me," Elena says, curious to what the man is thinking.

With his eyes focused firmly on hers, Damon asks, "Why did you react so strongly to the cheating question?"

"As you can probably guess, it was personal for me. The two of us were together for two years and quite by accident, I found out that he had been cheating nearly the whole time that we were together. The first thing I did after kicking his ass was to go to the doctor to make sure I didn't have any STD's. And thankfully, I am clean," Elena says, a heady breath leaving her lips.

"Wow, the guy obviously didn't appreciate what he had. I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Elena."

"It's water under the bridge but as a consequence, I'm not the most trusting of people now. And I hate him for that. What about you? Why did you even ask such a question?"

"Same thing actually. We were casual acquaintances but after my uncle died, our relationship went from smoldering ashes to an inferno. I thought she loved me for me," Damon admits. "One day, I wanted to surprise her with some flowers, chocolate and a bottle of expensive wine. You know, to have a romantic afternoon with her. To make a long story short, I found her in bed not with one guy but with two. Turns out, she was only interested in me for my inheritance."

"That's terrible, Damon," Elena says softly, her eyes full of sincerity.

"It hurt, it really did but with the distance of time, everyday I thank whatever led me to her apartment that day. That's not the extent of it though. There was another woman that I was interested in but she wanted an open relationship. I just couldn't stomach the idea of her sleeping with other men and then crawling back into my bed. Of course she didn't bring up the proposition till we had gone out a couple of time. As soon as I refused, she couldn't disappear fast enough," Damon mentions and inappropriate laugh escaping his mouth.

Damon ventures a glance, looking directly into Elena's burnished brown eyes. Suddenly the mood shifts, the air heavy with whatever is brewing between the two of them. When Elena sees lust beginning to brim in his eyes, she almost imperceptibly moves closer. And when she does, Damon leans forward enough to place a wispy kiss to her lips. Feeling the rightness of it, Elena kisses him back softly. Pulling back just slightly, Damon looks at her, his eyes darting from hers to her lips and back again. Rather than give her enough time to change her mind, Damon captures her lips, this time the kiss is heady, blistering and full of want.

So singularly focused on the moment, Damon rolls over onto her, Elena accommodating him by opening up her legs, forming a cradle for Damon to rest in. Feeling his desire for her growing, Elena gasps. Detaching his lips from hers, Damon starts to kiss her cheek, moving to the spot behind her ear and down her graceful swan like neck. Using his tongue, Damon teases the hollow between her collarbones, fully enjoying the way her body is reacting to his ministrations. Needing a breath of air, Damon gets on his knees. Seeing her subtle nod, Damon pulls his shirt over his head then immediately drops back down to nuzzle her beautiful body some more.

"Damon, do you really think this is a good idea?" Elena asks, her finger gesturing between the two of them.

"Five minutes, Elena. If you don't want anymore when this fairytale of a night is over, I won't press you. You have my word," Damon promises. Elena can tell that he's sincere by the look in his eyes.

Nodding, Damon immediately drops his lips to her again, their lips sliding against each other till she opens her mouth to let Damon in. For her part, Elena runs her hands along the sinuous muscles of his arms and his buff back. He has on a smattering of chest hair but Elena loves the stubble on his face. Reaching up, she cups his cheeks and pulls his lips back to her own. With her body bursting with lust and excitement, Elena breaks the kiss so she can sit up to pull her own tee shirt off. Damon is completely and utterly lost in the depths of her beautiful brown eyes. Before Damon can make a move, Elena unclasps her bra and tosses it behind her. Elena is herself enraptured and empowered by the lust filled look that now fills his piercing, oceanic colored blue eyes.

Without letting another second pass, Damon latches onto one of her nipples, suckling and nipping and teasing it with his tongue. When Elena's back arches, her breast is forced further into his mouth and she loves the feel of his mouth on her. Before she loses her mind completely, Elena reaches down and unbuttons his jeans. Sliding her hand inside his pants, Elena wraps her fingers around his velvety smooth erection. Stroking Damon with the same rhythm that his mouth has on her breast, soon both are moaning and whimpering. With the need for each other reaching critical mass, Damon reluctantly pulls his lips from her breast with a plopping sound. Immediately he starts to descend, pressing kisses between the valley of her bosom, down her flat tummy, stopping only when he reaches the waistline of her jeans. Wanting her permission, Damon raises his eyes to meet hers. When she nods, he uses his tongue to tease the flesh at her waistline before opening her jeans and pulling them along with her panties down her svelte legs that go on and on.

When Damon sees her spread out and wanting him, her already glistening core causes another surge of lust to shoot up his spine. The subdued lighting of the aquarium makes the ambience so romantic and perfect beyond any vocabulary that Damon can come up with in this moment. Shimmying out of his jeans and boxers, Damon hands her a condom. As soon as Elena rolls it on, Damon lays between her legs, again pressing kiss after kiss to her smooth, unblemished flesh. Slowly he cups her womanhood, stroking her clit with his thumb while pressing the tip of his middle finger into her wet heat.

"Do you have any idea how utterly gorgeous you are like this? You could be wearing the crown jewels in a designer dress and Louboutin heels and still it would pale in comparison to the way you look now, Elena."

"Damon?" she pants, her hips raising and lowering in rhythm with his finger thrusts into her body. Holding Elena close, Damon presses his lips to hers in a fierce kiss. Although his hair is already tousled, Elena fists her hands through his locks, messing them up even more while her body squirms and writhes underneath his. Damon continues to circle her clit with his thumb, making Elena gasp, her hips continuing the back and forth as the two of them send her body barreling down the tracks like a locomotive towards her release. With his middle finger, Damon takes one more pass along her front wall, tipping her over the edge into paradise. Not knowing up from down, Elena's body and mind are in a world all of their own. Stroking her through it, Damon can't get over how glorious and alluring and enticing and ravishing Elena looks as she comes down. Needing to be connected to her again, Damon pulls his hand from her body so he can pull her lips into another searing kiss. Unable to breathe, he snaps his head back when his chest is heaving so hard. The woman beneath has Damon both bewitched and befuddled and completely under her spell.

"You are exquisite like this," Damon breathes, rocking his thighs from side to side as he settles between Elena's spread legs.

"I want you inside of me," Elena moans when she feels Damon's tip settle at her entrance. Damon lifts his head and kisses her hard and open mouthed at the same time that he sinks into her. Elena gasps at the delicious stretch, digging her nails into his flesh. Participating completely in their lovemaking, Elena lifts her hips to match his thrusts as he pounds inside of her. Feeling the electricity spark between them, Elena tries to pull in as much of him inside of her as possible.

"I've never felt so complete before," Damon blurts out, whether consciously or not. At his husky yet honest words, Elena is catapulted over the edge a second time, her orgasm washing through her with the force of an F-5 tornado. Damon comes a few seconds after, her inner walls contracting around him. Elena takes so much pleasure in watching his face, the way his eyes squeeze shut and how his mouth falls open with a hiss of her name on his lips. Unable to move for several moments, Damon simply holds her body to his own, reveling in the way it feels to be connected to her. Although Damon can't think straight in this moment, he is coherent enough to know that he doesn't want to let her go tomorrow.

When Damon can move, he stands up on shaky legs and offers Elena his hand. Staring at him for a few seconds, Elena latches on and lets Damon pull her to her feet. Cocooning her in his arms, Damon plants a blistering kiss to her lips. After which, Elena takes his hand again, the two of them walking into the shower where the two reach their peak once more under the hot steady stream of the shower. Damon washes her hair and she washes his which seems a little intimate for Elena but she goes with it because there's something about this man that makes her heart beat a little faster. Once finished, the pair step out of the shower stall. Damon hands Elena a towel and then takes another one and cinches it around her waist. Taking her hand again, Damon pulls her back to the tunnel. After Elena lays down, Damon takes the blanket, covering her with it. Then he crawls in beside her, curling his knees under Elena's so she's effectively sitting on Damon's lap. Draping a hand over her belly, Damon laces his fingers with hers and brings them to lie against Elena's chest where her heart is thrumming like a jackhammer because she knows that in some profound way, this night is significant for both Damon and herself.

* * *

When Damon feels himself start to become coherent, he rolls over to reach for Elena. At first, the man doesn't want to open his eyes. Groggy and still stuck in that place between dreams and reality, Damon finally forces open one of his eyes. Immediately shooting upright when he doesn't see Elena, Damon looks around, a sigh of relief leaving his lips when he sees her. But what Damon sees scares him. Elena is sitting with her back to him, her knees curled up against her chest. Since Damon can't see her face, he feels the pang of something foreign twist in his gut.

"Elena," Damon asks, getting on his knees and crawling over to sit beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay and no, I don't regret what we did but now the fairytale is over. The coach is going to turn back into a pumpkin, the footmen back into mice and we have to rejoin the real world. And if I were to be honest with you, Damon, that makes me kind of sad," Elena admits, turning her face so she can look into Damon's eyes.

Reaching over, Damon places his hand on top one of her knees. Somehow Damon knows that this is her way of beginning the goodbye process so all he can do is agree with her. Despite the fact that he wants nothing but to spend many more nights like this, he's certain that's she's made up her mind.

"So this is it?" Damon asks, tilting his head slightly when he looks at her beautiful face reflecting off the aquarium wall.

"Yes, Damon. The clock has struck twelve and Cinderella's magical night morphs back into reality. Thank you for making me feel like a princess, Damon," Elena says, placing her hand atop his own that's still resting on her knee. Damon leans forward to steal one more kiss from her perfectly shaped lips but before he can, Damon hears footsteps getting closer and closer. Before Damon can even lift that kiss, Matt Donovan appears, smiling jovially.

"Good morning, Damon, Elena," Matt greets them, extending his hand to Damon's. Elena is beyond glad that they woke up early to slip back into their clothes before going back to sleep for a little while longer.

"Good morning, Mr. Donovan," Elena says, standing up, she shakes the hand when he offers as does Damon.

"How was your night?"

"It was magical," Elena adds, her eyes focusing only on Damon's. "I concur," Damon says, smiling sadly because he doesn't want to say goodbye to her.

"I'm sorry it's early but we have to get this cleared out and ready for today's tourists."

"We understand," Damon tells him, picking up both his bag and Elena's.

"Is our ride here?" Elena asks, pressing her palm against the aquarium's acrylic wall one more time. Damon walks over to stand beside her. With his eyes on hers, Damon presses his hand against it too, gazing into the water's depths once more before leaving the place. Sighing, the two drop their hands and follow Matt out of the aquarium and to the casino's entrance where the limo is waiting to take them home. Damon hands the overnight bags to the driver then pulls the door open for Elena to crawl in. Damon follows behind. Soon the trunk closes and the driver climbs behind the wheel.

"Do you want to go someplace for breakfast?" Damon asks.

"Not really. I'm still full from last night," Elena admits, puffing out her cheeks.

"I'm not really hungry either." Much too soon for his liking, the driver pulls into Elena's driveway. Not wanting to say goodbye yet, Damon follows Elena outside to walk her to the door. Elena unlocks it then turns around before she steps inside. Knowing that he has nothing to lose, Damon reaches out to her.

"Did you feel it, Elena? The sparks I mean?"

"Yes."

"Don't say goodbye then, I know it's crazy to build something on the back of a game show but the night was electric and beautiful and unlike anything I've ever experienced before," Damon whispers, pouring his heart out. Taking a chance, he steps closer. With the close proximity, Damon feels an unbelievable magnetic pull towards Elena. Leaning forward, Damon darts his eyes first to hers and then to her pouty mouth before latching onto her lips, his kiss full of want and need and the promise of forever. When her survival instincts kick in, Elena has to pull away, her bosom heaving as she struggles pull some air into her lungs.

"I should go get your bag from the limo," Damon whispers, not wanting to break the connection between his eyes and hers.

"Yeah," Elena mumbles almost incoherently.

Nodding, Damon walks back to the vehicle. He talks to the driver for a few moments then reaches inside to grab her bag for her. Although everything inside of him is screaming not to leave her, Damon walks slowly down her sidewalk almost as if he were a condemned man on the way to the gallows. With his heart heavy, Damon walks up the three stairs to reach her front door. Blowing out a breath, he extends his arm to hand her the bag. Elena takes it from his hand and sets it down. Damon gives her a tight smile then turns around to walk back to the limo.

"Damon, wait," Elena says, placing her hand on his forearm. Stopping in his tracks, Damon can feel the sparks where her skin touches his. When he turns around to look into her face, Elena feels her cheeks blooming red but yet it feels so right to want more with this man.

"Do you want to come inside? I could make us some breakfast, we could talk and then I can drive you home?" Elena adds, her voice trailing off as she feels herself falling captive to his magnetic blue eyes all over again.

Rendered mute, Damon bobs his head up and down excitedly. "I have to go back and get my bag," Damon burbles, eagerly pointing to the car. Before Elena can change her mind, Damon practically leaps to the limo to grab his bag. After giving the driver a tip, Damon watches as the guy backs out of the driveway and disappears down the street. His smile is wide as he hurries back to her porch. Elena steps aside so he can come in. Damon sets his bag down beside hers and without wasting another second, Damon closes the distance between them, palms her cheeks and pulls her lips to his. As soon as he lets go, Damon gives her a wink, steps back and pushes the door closed, his heart full of hope for all the possibilities that await the two of them.

The End.

* * *

 _Thank you so much, Eva. I love you very much._

 _And a huge thanks to all of you for your support. I wouldn't be here without all of you either._

 _Chapter Title: 'At the Beginning' from Anastasia._

 _'Seven Year Ache', 'Nothing Left to Fear' and 'Turn the Page' are still in progress. 'IF' is a one-shot I posted Monday. And be warned, it's a tearjerker. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and my other stories. Watch for 'Where Have All The Cowboys Gone' to post as well._

 _Please remember to click the *REVIEW* button._

 _Be safe and have an absolutely fabulous day. Thank you all again. Waves bye, I have to get to work._


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